The present invention relates to a method for machining a sculptured surface of a metallic, ceramic, or plastic material, and, more particularly, to a method for machining a sculptured surface suited to improving the machining accuracy and efficiency using the inverse offset method which is effective as a tool path generation method.
The conventional tool path generation method of the sculptured surface machining method for various tool shapes has not been perfected, though a solution has been proposed only for the spherical tool shape.
It has been proposed to reduce offset surfaces for various tool shapes and the "inverse offset method" for solving tool interference processing with necessary accuracy, "Machining System based on Inverse Offset Method", Journal of Precision Engineering, Kondo, et al, Vol. 54, No. 5, May 19, 1988, pp 167-172.
The concept of the inverse offset method is shown in FIG. 14 , in an offset surface can be generated by the enveloping surface of a cutting edge when an inverse tool moves on a surface with a required shape.
In the above prior art, the offset surface generation principle for the sculptured surface no consideration is given to the configuration of a final sculptured surface machining system; the correction method for generation of an offset surface on the basis of the inverse offset method; the actual machining accuracy of sculptured surface machining and an actually required memory reduction method for realizing a machining system in a computer; and the selection method for an appropriate tool, and there are problems imposed for realizing an actual machining system.